Many dispenser systems are known in the prior art for sequentially or serially dispensing paper or other web materials from a plurality of rolls thereof. Many such arrangements incorporate mechanisms which are responsive to depletion of one roll to present another at dispensing position. The following United States patents are believed representative of such arrangements: U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,329, issued Dec. 27, 1966, U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,389, issued Aug. 22, 1978, U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,487, issued Mar. 21, 1972, U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,148, issued Jan. 14, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,657, issued May 17, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,278, issued Dec. 7, 1982, U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,621, issued Sep. 16, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,222, issued Nov. 6, 1973, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,653, issued Oct. 17, 1972.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,329 is of particular interest since it employs a mechanism wherein two rolls of toilet tissue or the like are mounted on spindles which move relative to one another to alternatively present one or the other of the rolls in dispensing position. Depletion of one of the rolls results in a pivoting action of the roll support mechanism causing relative movement between the spindles to move the reserve roll to dispensing position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,426, issued Dec. 10, 1985, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,513, issued Aug. 22, 1978, are worthy of comment in that they disclose rotary support members carrying a plurality of toilet paper rolls which are sequentially presented to a user. In both of the arrangements, however, advancement of a full roll to replace one that has been depleted is accomplished manually by a user effecting rotation of the rotary support member by hand.